This invention relates to ladders, and more particularly to a two-position ladder useful in situations requiring a ladder to be either deployed for use or stored conveniently nearby and ready for use, such as on pontoon-type boats.
The prior art marine ladders known to the inventors are unsatisfactory for several reasons. Some marine ladders comprise a ladder permanently attached to the side of the boat. Such a permanent ladder is a danger to swimmers when the boat is moving and causes a drag on the boat's motion. Another commonly used marine ladder comprises a ladder which is removably positioned at the side of the boat when in use and, when not in use, is removed and stored on the boat deck. Such a removable ladder is unsatisfactory because it poses a safety hazard while lying on the deck and, more importantly, it can not be reached and deployed by someone in an emergency situation in the water needing to get into the boat. The prior art does not provide for a permanently attached marine ladder which has a self-storing feature, which is out of the way when not in use, and which is deployable from its stored position to a usable position by persons either on the boat or in the water.
Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide an improved ladder.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved two-position ladder.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved ladder having stored and use positions in an unitary structure.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved two-position marine ladder.
Another object of the invention is to provide a marine ladder permanently mounted on the boat and which is movable from a stored position to a use position.
Another object of the invention is to provide a marine ladder having use and stored positions and which may be moved between the stored and use positions by persons either on the boat or in the water.